Living Nightmare
by Ziva Lou
Summary: Her mind went blank as she watched him take the bullets for her. TIVA oneshot songfic to 'Eet' by Regina Spektor rated T for gore, implied character death, WARNING: Tear-jerker!
1. The Actual Story

**This is my first fanfic, and it's about one of the best the-fans-all-know-they'll-get-together-eventually-couples, Tony and Ziva! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own N.C.I.S or 'Eet' by Regina Spektor.**

**000**

Ziva's mind went blank as she saw the impossible happen. What they did was dangerous, true, but the danger had never seemed so real before. But now, as she watched Tony, the man she had loved with a silent passion for almost eight years, jump in front of her, it was as though her brain paused in its duties to simply watch in terrified awe.

_It's like forgetting the words,_

_To your favorite song._

_You can't believe it,_

_You were always singin' along._

Tony had always been there, though thick and even thicker. He had traveled to Somalia to pull off a rescue for her, he had helped Gibbs clear her name when the F.B.I was chasing her, and he had annoyed her daily with his playful flirting that had also secretly pleased her.

_It was so easy,_

_And the words so sweet._

_You can't remember,_

_You try to feel the beat._

But now, instead of his bright DiNozzo grin, Ziva only saw his bloodied form fall to the ground with a muffled thump that seemed to ring across time and space to break her trance.

"TONY!" she screamed.

_Bee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-eet eet eet ,_

_Ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-eet eet eet._

Tony's eyes fluttered open as Ziva crouched down beside him, cradling his head in her hands.

"No…no! Tony! Stay with me, Tony!" She gasped for air as she saw that sparkle in his eyes, the sparkle she had come to adore, start to fade.

_You spend half of your life,_

_Trying to fall behind._

_You're using your headphones,_

_To drown out your mind._

She had told him at every turn that he was an idiot, but Ziva knew, deep inside, that she was only trying to keep herself from acting like a schoolgirl with a crush on the senior quarterback. And Tony always gave as good as he got, becoming one of the few people she was willing to admit that matched her for witty and snide remarks.

"Come on, Tony," she bit her lip in worry, "Do not give up now."

_It was so easy,_

_And the words so sweet._

_You can't remember,_

_You try to move your feet._

"Zi-vah." He croaked.

"Yes, yes, Tony, I am Ziva," A few tears leaked out of the corner of her eye.

_Fee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-eet eet eet,_

_Ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-eet eet eet._

"Hurts." He gasped.

It certaintly looked like it hurt, Ziva thought as she glanced down at his chest. The firefight had been unexpected, none of them had had a chance to get their bullet-proof vests on. Tony's shirt was bathed in red from the countless rounds that had ripped through him. Ziva draped her coat over him and tried to apply pressure to the wounds to stop the bleeding, but there were too many places where blood, his precious blood, welled up through his skin.

_Someone's deciding,_

_Whether or not to steal,_

_He opens a window,_

_Just to feel the chill._

Off in the distance, it seemed, Ziva heard more shots fired, then a car speeding away as footsteps ran towards her and Tony.

"Zi-vah."

"I am here, Tony."

_He hears that outside,_

_A small boy just started to cry,_

'_cause it's his turn, _

_But his brother won't let him try._

"Ne-ver got to tell you –"

"Sh, sh," Ziva said quietly, "You can tell me later. Save your strength, Tony."

"'m not a id-iot. 'm dy-in Zi-vah." Tony choked out.

"No, no! You are not!" The tears were flowing thick and fast down Ziva's face as she tried to deny what she knew to be true.

_It's like forgetting the words,_

_To your favorite song._

_You can't believe it,_

_You were always singin' along._

"Zi-vah," Tony gasped, his voice grown softer, "I…love…you…"

"I love you, too, Tony," she cried, "Stay with me, please stay with me!"

_It was so easy,_

_And the words so sweet._

_You can't remember,_

_You try to move your feet._

"Tony," a gruff voice spoke up behind Ziva, "You're a damn good agent, Tony. One of the best."

"Boss…" Tony aknowlaged, with a tiny, weak nod. "Watch…Gibbs's…six…Probie…"

"It's your six I should've had, Tony. I'm sorry." McGee sounded close to tears.

_It was so easy,_

_And the words so sweet._

_You can't remember,_

_You try to feel the beat._

"Zi-vah…"

"NO!" Ziva screamed as Tony's head lolled to the side and the light completely left his eyes. "TONY!"

"What?"

Ziva jerked awake with a gasp to see a sleepy-eyed Tony standing behind his desk, fumbling for his gun. His hair was messy and there was a red mark the shape of the corner of his keyboard on his cheek. They had fallen asleep while pulling another all-nighter.

"Nothing, it was nothing," Ziva hastily reassured the other agent, who was still looking around sleepily for an adversary. "Just a nightmare."

"But you yelled my name." Tony stated with a yawn.

"Yes, I, I dreamed you had been killed in a, in a gun fight." Ziva told him hesitantly.

"Well, as you can see, I'm fine. Dead tired," Tony yawned again, "but perfectly fine."

"Yes…" Ziva trailed off quietly, the horrible scenes from her nightmare still racing through her head.

**000**

**Please review!**


	2. A Discussion of Songfics

I know, you were all hoping that this is a second chapter, and I know that 'Author Notes' chapters are against the rules, but I just HAD to answer these two anonymous reviewers! Sorry for causing any disappointment!

**Original Review:**

**Song fics are not allowed as per site them out or you will be reported.**

**By ****Rule Respecter**

Rule, have you _seen_ the sheer amount of songfics on this site? Go ahead, click on any author's profile, and I can guarantee that there is at least a 70% chance that they have written one songfic. Music has been inspiring people for centuries, and it has been an important part of theater since the days of the traveling minstrels. And really, isn't a book just theater on paper? You still get all the emotions, all the excitement, all the scenery and lovable characters; everything just takes place in your head instead of the stage. Why shouldn't music play a role in a story as much as it does on Broadway?

P.S – While we're being all nitpicky here, I would like to point out, Rule, that you said 'take them out' and I have posted a total of _one_, count it, _one_ story which happens to be a songfic. And there should be a space in between your sentences.

**Original Review:**

**You know what, "Rule Respector"? If you go around reporting all the writers of song-based stories, there are not going to be ANY good writers on this site. Let these wonderful authors write what thy want, an put their beautiful work up for everyone else to see. So just stop it, please, and join the rest of the FFN population in congratulating authors on their accomplishments, and aiding them in improving their others.**

**And to the author of this story, very good job, you kept the characters in-character, and had generally good grammar. Keep up the good work.**

**By Authors' Protector**

Now this person has their priorities straight! I refer those readers who were curious enough to stick around and read this to Paragraph Three, Sentence Two: **Go ahead, click on any author's profile, and I can guarantee that there is at least a 70% chance that they have written one songfic.** Now I refer you to Paragraph Five, Sentence Two: **If you go around reporting all the writers of song-based stories, there are not going to be ANY good writers on this site.**

Am I the only one who sees any similarities between our two arguments? I'm not? Good. Because, Protector, you are completely right: what we authors post on Fanfiction is usually something we've worked hard on to shine it up and make it pretty enough so the rest of the world can see. I take my N.C.I.S hat off to you, Protector! You remain one of the few people (outside of the authors who've been scolded themselves) who stand up for our right to write!

If I want to write a songfic, then I think that as long as I put up a disclaimer at the beginning, I see no reason why anybody should be upset with me for using my creative license!

*Canned Applause*


End file.
